Keep your eye on the prize // James 1:9-12

Everyone goes through trials. At some point in your life, you are going to face a tragic situation, a death in the family, a fight with a loved one, etc. 

So what is the purpose of life's trials? 

Read James 1:12:  Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  

Answer: the REWARD
God promises a CROWN OF LIFE to us when we have passed the test and endured life's trials.

Background on CROWNS:
In the ancient times, if one heard the word "crown", he or she would typically imagine 4 different types:

1. Crown of Flowers: usually worn at festivals, weddings, feasts, times of joy
2. Crown of Royalty: worn by members of the royal family / other positions of authority
3. Crown of Victory: given to the winner in an athletic game
4. Crown of Honor: signified some sort of honor or dignity that had been bestowed upon a person

Match these 4 verses with the correct crown: [Some of them are not very obvious, but it's alright cause it all comes together nicely!]

2 Timothy 4:7-8: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day —and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

John 12:26: Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Revelation 2:10: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

[ANSWERS]

2 Timothy 4:7-8 = crown of victory
John 12:26 = crown of flowers
1 Peter 2:9 = crown of royalty
Revelation 2:10 = crown of honor     

The CROWN of LIFE, or the crown that consists of life, includes ALL of the 4 different crowns that were just listed.

REAL LIFE IS ONLY FOUND IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!

When we become Christians, we:

• become part of a priesthood / royalty
• are bestowed with honor
• are victors because Jesus was and is the victory
• and we will one day be participants in a wedding feast

James used this term to provide a visual aid to his readers, who were not in the best of situations. His readers needed to know that PERSEVERING / remaining steadfast / sticking with a LIFE of FAITH IN CHRIST is very much worth it!

[from the book] "A life with God- even in the midst of suffering and persecution- is more valuable and full of more life than any life without God, even if it's filled with comfort and ease"

KEEP IN MIND: We are absolutely worthless. Like the things of earth, we are temporary and weak. Without God, who is everlasting and omnipotent, we have no worth. Nothing truly significant rests in us without God. But by God's wonderful grace, we can receive the crown which consists of life and have worth through Christ. So, as Christians we should be living for the sake of eternity and focus on living for God, not for the temporary things of earth.

So, what happens to your crown?
Read Revelation 4:1-11
Here, John sees some crazy stuff. But the important parts about the setting are the thrones. Here there are 24 elders that had crowns and were seated on their own thrones, surrounding Christ's ultimate and central throne.  Verse 10 is very significant. In this verse, the crowned elders are falling down before Christ and casting their crowns to "the One who lives forever and ever." 

So, this shows that everything that we are blessed with, every crown that is granted to us, should go back directly to God, who grants you the crown when you are faithful to Him.  This is because God is the only Being that deserves a crown, the only One who deserves all the praise! You must praise Him with the crown He blessed you with!

[Lesson taught by Ethel, Micah, and Queenie 04.24.12]

What You Need Most | James 1:5-8

Your parents divorced. You find out you have cancer. You are the target of a mean girl at school. Someone started a rumor about you and your boyfriend. Your best friend moves across the country. You get cut from the team. Your mom loses her job.

No one can say that they haven't experienced some sort of trial. Even now, every single one of us is facing something that is troubling us, that might have us stumped and confused on what to do next. So what do you need in all of these situations? What will help you in everyone one of them?

You probably wrote things like God and His wisdom and comfort that can only be found through prayer, reading Scripture, fellowship/talking to someone about what you're going through. You might have even written a miracle. All of those would be helpful. But James offers one other thing that is essential for triumphing over trials.

James 1:5-8. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

• What does James focus on in these verses?
  
  
• How would you define wisdom?

Wisdom is different from knowledge. Knowledge is knowing facts, experience, ideas, but wisdom is applying those facts, experience, ideas to your current situation. For example, we KNOW that everything we read in the Bible is truth (knowledge), but do we BELIEVE in it enough to actually LIVE it (wisdom)? So that's what wisdom is—the ability to apply what you know about a spiritual truth, the ability to act with God's guidance. And why do we need wisdom in trials? Because when we face a trial—something that tests our strength, patience, and endurance—applying truth to our current situation is critical. And the only place to find wisdom is in the Only Wise One: GOD.


WISDOM'S SOURCE

1 Corinthians 1:25. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

• What does the Bible say about why we can't rely on our own, human wisdom?

We can't rely on human wisdom because even God's foolishness is so much more wiser than the greatest of man's wisdom and His weakness is so much more stronger than the strongest man can ever be.

[Side note: In context, this verse also applies to the crucifixion of Christ and how God's power to call forth His people works through a deeper wisdom than human beings can recognize. This is why those who are unsaved find it difficult to understand/believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, because the "message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18), because unless God grants them faith and the wisdom to understand that faith.]

The same, perfect wisdom of God can be found in Isaiah 55:8-9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. God, the Creator of the entire universe, is far above us humans and far above our ability to even describe or comprehend Him fully. But because He is perfectly wise in all His thoughts and ways, we can still find great comfort and peace in Him even when we go through trials and are unable to understand the mysteries and tragedies of our lives.

James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

• Who is able to receive wisdom?
• How does God offer wisdom?
• Why does that matter?

God gives wisdom to anyone who asks Him, and He gives it generously and without reproach. He holds nothing back from His people that He loves, and gives us the assurance that we can put ALL our trust in Him. This wisdom isn't just for the super-spiritual or the mega-holy or church leaders or famous evangelists. It's for ANYONE who asks, even YOU. He will give it to you without rebuking you, insulting you, or making you feel like a loser. You can have the wisdom that God offers so freely and generously. But there is one catch...


THE CONDITIONAL PROMISE

James 1:6-8. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

• What is the condition?
  
  
• What illustration does James use to describe a person who doesn't have faith?
  Why is that a good illustration?
  
  
• Is doubt a sin?
  Why or why not?
  
  
• How is a person who doubts described in verse 8?
  
  
• What does it mean to be "indecisive" or "unstable"?

The condition attached to God's promise of giving us as much wisdom as we need is that we have to ask in faith, without any doubting. If we doubt, we're like a wave in the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. This illustration gives a good picture of just how easily we as humans can be affected by almost anything—people, trails, the environments around us—and end up doubting God because of it. But doubting is actually a sin because then, we are showing that we don't believe or trust that God is mighty enough to take care of us. Doubting doesn't bring glory to God; in fact, it insults God's power and His strength to do anything. Who are we to doubt God? He's the same great God that performed all those miracles. We can't let those just become stories that we know and remember learning about but not let it change us. Our God is powerful enough to do all of those things, so we have no reason to worry about the future if we give it up to Him. Otherwise, if we doubt, we are double-minded and unstable in all our ways, meaning we are relying on our own wisdom and are hesitant to follow God because we're afraid or uncomfortable doing what He wants us to do.

• Think about your journey of faith. When could you describe your faith as being indecisive or unstable?

James 1:6-8. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

These verses can be confusing. In the middle of our tough times, sometimes we doubt. We wonder where God is and question His goodness. Is that wrong? What was James trying to tell us in these verses?


James 1:6-8.

"But when he asks, he must be firmly persuaded and convinced and not be divided in his mind because he who hesitates or wavers is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a man trying to embrace the way of God and the way of sin at the same time, restless, not firmly anchored, unsteady, in all he does."



You cannot live in sin and expect God to work in your life at the same time. That means you are restless and unsteady in everything. When you ask for God's wisdom to help you through troubles, you need to be firm in your conviction of God, His grace, and your assurance of His trustworthiness. When you go back and forth between your belief and disbelief in God—those moments when you trust one minute and doubt the next—you're like a ship tossed around in a storm. You're not firmly anchored in God. You're trying to embrace both what God offers and what the world offers. You are divided, double-minded, and restless. And when you are restless, you can't gain God's wisdom.

We spend a majority of our faith journeys like a wave in the ocean tossed by the wind. But it doesn't have to be that way. Decide now to believe in God no matter what the circumstances. Resolve to trust Him no matter what life throws your way. Choose to believe that God is Who He says He is, that His ways are better than yours, and that He will give you what you need to endure this current trials. You will have doubts in your journey of faith, and when you let those doubts shape the foundations of your faith, it becomes unsteady. But when your faith is rooted in God and His trustworthiness, it can't be shaken.


Matthew 14:22-31. Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

In this passage, all of the disciples were in the same storm, but only Peter trust Jesus enough to step out of the boat and onto the water's surface. Peter was fine until he stopped looking to Jesus and started looking at his surroundings. The storm was still there. But in an instant, Peter's focus was split. He was double-minded—fearful of the storm, yet trying to believe in Jesus at the same time.

Matthew 14:31-33. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus wasn't chastising Peter for his swan dive into the waves. Notice that Jesus called Peter "you of little faith." He didn't say, "you of no faith." A little faith is better than no faith at all. Maybe the question, "Why did you doubt?" was meant to help Peter process the experience. Maybe Jesus was helping Peter to see that he could have trusted Him the entire way back to the boat.

Describe that storm in your life. Record the name of the character in the story you're most like right now and jot down reasons for choosing that character.









For questions about the lesson, ask Jessica Campomanes or me.
We were unable to have discussions on James 1 so if you had some, be sure to share next week!

READING FOR THE WEEK: Read James 2 again. As you pray and read, ask yourselves:

1. What is God telling you about Himself in these verses?
2. What is God telling you about yourself or others?
3. What steps will you take today in response to what God has revealed to you though His Word today?

Our theme for the next several weeks is: UNWAVERING FAITH. What do you think about that? Is that you?? Let's continue to pray for each other, encourage each other, and be accountable to one another as we all endure the trials in our lives, so that we all may have UNWAVERING FAITH!!

Ready or not, here they come!

Some word combinations just don't seem to go together. For example: pretty ugly, jumbo shrimp, bitter sweet, civil war, old news, awfully good, seriously funny, and one of our favorites of the night...Biggie Smalls! Somehow, though, they always seem to make sense. Even God can speak to us through words that don't seem to go together, but we can ALWAYS trust that He will make sense of it.


JAMES 1: 2-4

(2) Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverence. (4) Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

• What are your initial thoughts?
• What strange combination of words do you notice?

James just said "Consider it pure joy....whenever you face trials of many kinds...."

JOY and TRIALS?!?!?!?!?! How can we possibly have joy when we are going through a trial?? I mean, who gets excited with joy when a boyfriend dumps you?!? Or when you get into a car accident? Or when you and your best friend are fighting? Or when you have no money and you're flat broke? Or when you're sick? Or especially when someone you love passes away?? Who in the world is jumping for joy then?

Be honest! What is your first true, human reaction to your trials? I know mine is "Why me?" or "What did I do wrong?" Don't we all start re-evaluating what we did wrong, or what we did to "deserve" this?

Well, we're going to dig a little deeper to figure out just what James meant by having pure joy in the midst of trials.

The word "joy" comes from the Greek root word CHARA, which means "to be exceedingly glad". James 1:2 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds"

• How could we ever consider going through difficulties and trials a reason to feel joy or feel exceedingly glad?

Read James 1:3-4 again: ..."because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

• According to these verses, what good can come out of trials?

Deep, pure joy comes as we persevere through trials, WITH GOD'S HELP, and our faith matures and is strengthened!!

The word JOY that James talks about doesn't literally mean be joyful in the moment that you are hurting. The way James uses it has an ETERNAL END in mind. It means we can find JOY and HOPE in the END RESULT of our PRESENT SUFFERING. We know there is a good ending coming out of the trial, so we just need to fix our focus and our joy on that, not on the immediate circumstances...no matter how tough they are!

I clearly remember the day the police informed us that my dad was dead. I was screaming and crying and asking God "Why??" I was shocked, confused, angry, devastated...utterly heart broken. There was obviously not one hint of "joy" at that moment. But I also remember the moment, after I finally took a big, deep breath and after much prayer, that I said "Ok, God, I trust you and I know one day I will see why you allowed this to happen". Well, you know what? God hears our cries and He delivers on His promises that He will always carry us through, and we will always see the good at the end of all the bad. That's exactly what happened. At the moment of my grief, I couldn't have forseen the blessings that He's brought forth through the pain. God is good! He doesn't allow us to suffer just for the sake of suffering.

Verse 3 tells us the outcome of our trials: ENDURANCE!! Think about endurance as it applies to our lives. What are some examples of things that we need endurance to accomplish?

1. SCHOOL! I'm pretty sure no one finds joy in homework, reports & presentations, or quizzes & exams. But we endure all those things year after year because at the end we will finally graduate and get that diploma.
2. RUNNING A RACE. Some of you may try to say that you find joy in running, but I'll bet that you didn't think that in the very beginning when you couldn't breathe properly and you got shin splints and your muscles ached for days afterwards. At the end, though, you find self-satisfaction after completing a race, along with a fit body, and perhaps even a medal =)
3. WEDDING PLANNING. Sounds like a joyous occasion...until you actually start doing it. There's a lot of pressure and stress involved with all the different decisions you have to make involving a lot of different personalities. But we endure it because in the end, hopefully, the wedding will be beautiful and the marriage will be even better!
4. EXERCISE. Ugh! Again, who absolutely loves every moment of working out?!? But we fight through the blood, sweat, and tears because in the end we have better health and a better body.

This is how we need to think about life - that the road to get somewhere WILL be hard and we WILL have trials, but if we focus on the END RESULT, then that tough road getting there will all be worth it! The key to enduring life's most painful trials is in looking forward to that end, not just focusing on the immediate pain.

Our trials produce: COMMITMENT, CONSISTENCY, AND A FAITH THAT DOES NOT WAVER OR GIVE UP. THAT FAITH IS COMPLETE AND MATURE. That's where we find our joy in the midst of our trials.

God gives us promises in His Word:

2 CORINTHIANS 4: 16-18. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

This is just one example of many promises God makes to us. Read the following scriptures and take note of the promise or promises in each:

JOHN 16:20-22. Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:58. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

PHILIPPIANS 3:8-9. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

PHILIPPIANS 4:19. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

JAMES 1:12. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

You WILL face hard times. Scripture says "whenever" you face trials, not "if" you face them (James 1:2). In fact, chances are, you've already had your fair share (or an unfair share) of difficult circumstances in your life. But remembering those times--especially how God used them for your growth and maturity--will help you when you face a new trial.

One last word of encouragement for today: You may be in the middle of a fierce storm as you read this. And in that storm of life, it's pretty hard to think clearly. Everything is upside down. You feel like this hard time is never going to get any better. You may be on the verge of giving up. You may even feel abandoned by God. That's OK. What you feel is real, but it may not be reality. Your circumstances won't tell you what's true about God. Your feelings aren't necessarily the truth.

TAKE HEART! This storm will not last forever. You WILL see the sun again. And when you do, you'll see that the Father was as close as your next breath. JOY WILL COME--maybe not as quickly or as easily as you hope--but joy will come!

PSALM 30:5. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

READING FOR THE WEEK: Read James 1 again. As you pray and read, ask yourselves:

1. What is God telling you about Himself in these verses?
2. What is God telling you about yourself or others?
3. What steps will you take today in response to what God has revealed to you though His Word today?

Our theme for the next several weeks is: UNWAVERING FAITH. What do you think about that? Is that you?? Let's continue to pray for each other, encourage each other, and be accountable to one another as we all endure the trials in our lives, so that we all may have UNWAVERING FAITH!!

So...ready or not for the trials, here they come! I pray that you cling to God's promises so that you ARE ready when they do come!

Love you all! See you next week at GBS =)